San Jacinto News Times - Local News
Copyright 2013 - Polk County Publishing Company

Court approves list of election judges

COLDSPRING – A list of election precinct judges and alternates was approved by San Jacinto County Commissioners' Court last week but not before taking the agenda item into executive session. Before approving the list of election judges for 2013- 2014 presented by San Jacinto County Election Administrator Sherryl Evans, San Jacinto County Judge Fritz Faulkner asked that the agenda item be passed until a discussion with the county's criminal district attorney could be held during executive session later in the meeting. Following executive session, that started at 2:45 p.m. and ended at 3:06 p.m., commissioners' court voted to approve the following election judges: Linda Deeter (Pct. 1); Debbie Hanson (Pct. 2); Katy Gibson (Pct. 3); Jean Howeth (Pct. 4); Edith Kyle (Pct. 5); Sandra Chesser (Pct. 6); Mary Wilkerson (Pct. 7); Vada Syphrett (Pct. 10); Teresa Worley (Pct. 13); and Lee Dibala (Pct. 14). Alternate judges for the precincts are: Sunnye Garbarino (Pct. 1); Tammy Russell (Pct. 2); Stephen Nash (Pct. 3); Douglas Sinclair (Pct. 4); Alicia Walker (Pct. 5); Betty Sue Reppond (Pct. 6); Jean Walters (Pct. 7); Sedrick Sweet (Pct. 8); Dora Day (Pct. 10); and Sandy Stephens (Pct. 13). An election judge for Pct. 8 and an alternate judge for Pct. 14 have not yet been appointed. "I expect those positions to be filled in the next month or so," Evans told the court. Another subject discussed in executive session was that of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claim against the county. According to Judge Faulkner, the EEOC claim was filed by a male county employee in the San Jacinto County Tax Assessor-Collector's office over restroom facilities used by employees. The male employee and the county have agreed to go into mediation in an attempt to settle the claim. Faulkner said the employee restroom for the tax office has three stalls that are used by 15 women employees. The male employee wants bathroom facilities for men as well, although there is a public unisex facility across the hallway in the courthouse annex from where the employee restroom is located. In other business, commissioners approved the renewal application for automobile physical damage, automobile liability, general liability, public officials liability and law enforcement liability coverage for the period of Oct. 1, 2013 to Oct. 1, 2014 for the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Department as presented by Kimberly Wooley. "How much did it go up?" asked Judge Faulkner. "We don't know yet. This is just an application," Wooley said, adding, "There are no changes on coverage. The court approved a donation of surplus equipment from Montgomery County to the sheriff's department. The equipment included assorted rain coats, assorted sizes of uniform pants and belts, holsters, handcuff cases, spray pouches, flashlight carriers, cell phone pouch, flashlight rings and body armor in assorted sizes. Precinct 3 Commissioner Thomas Bonds was given approval by the court to purchase maintenance material from Kevin Lilley. According to Bonds the ironore gravel is located within "spitting distance" from his precinct barn and there is about 3,500 to 3,800 yards of gravel available for the county's use at $4 per yard.